Fighting; it happens everyday. Rather it’s an argument or if it’s physical, it happens and happens at all different extents. You see it in your town, your school, your job, and many other places…but sports? Yes, it’s in sports too, however is it right?

Now while Boxing and UFC, fighting is the main objective of the sport so fighting is okay, but what about the others? Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, is it okay and if so where do you draw the line?

On July 8th David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox went up to plate. The first pitch an inside fastball, the second pitch another inside close fastball, the third pitch again an inside fastball except even closer. So close that Ortiz took a couple steps towards Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kevin Gregg, pointing and confronting Gregg about the close pitches. Ortiz after cooling off would go back to the plate and play would resume. On the fourth pitch Ortiz would pop out to shallow right field.

Then as Ortiz was walking back to the bench Gregg and himself would exchange some words. Ortiz still heated about the close pitches would charge Gregg pushing him several times and throwing several punches at pitcher Kevin Gregg. The benches would clear and the fans would cheer as there was a brawl in Fenway. A couple days later Major League Baseball would lay down the last and final blow handing both Ortiz and Gregg four game suspensions and fines of undisclosed amounts.

This incident, between Ortiz and Gregg certainly wasn’t the first baseball ever saw, let alone sports ever saw. We have seen it before, the brawl of 2004 between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, Oregon running back Lagarrette Blount sucker punching Boise State’s Byron Hout after losing to the Broncos, or Tennessee Titans wide receiver Cortland Finnegan and Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson fighting after a shove match from the play before. We have seen it before, plenty of times, but the question remains, is it right? Is it right, that these players who are fighting on National Television in front of thousands of fans and cameras exchanging words and fists, is it right?

Why it seems exciting and great at first, in the long term after being replayed and talked about and shown all over the world these fights or incidents are wrong. These fights or incidents not only make the two or more people involved look bad, but they send the wrong message to the future generations to come. Why I’m not saying everyone holds hands and sing kumbaya, I’m just saying that these fights and brawls have to come to an end.

So if it’s laying down harsher punishments or creating new rules to help prevent it, then it has to be done. Though even if that’s not possible the main thing that should be done which is inexcusable, should be the players involved in the matter apologizing to the media and saying some message to the fans and the people watching about how their actions were wrong. Now that would help make things better. Kumbaya.